Year in Review: Style Icons of the Big Screen
Thursday, December 26, 2019 at 10:32AM 
As an obsessive list-maker, to write a top ten for The Film Experience's Year in Review was more of a dream come true than a challenge. As we're in festive times, I decided to give myself a gift, by fusing one obsession with another. Cinema, costume design and list-making all consumed my Christmas Eve afternoon in a haze of sartorial glory. Looking back at the movies of 2019, from opulent period pieces to humble contemporary dramas, I went in search of the year's greatest style icons. Not those of real life, obviously, but the ones who graced the silver screen.
In decades to come, we may look at them as we now look at Darth Vader's sinister countenance or Holly Golightly's Givenchy clad figure. Who knows? More than predicting future icon-status, this is a list of personal favorites, though.
Without further ado, let's celebrate 2019's style icons, but first, some honorary mentions…
Honorary Mentions: The entire casts of Dolemite is My Name and Paradise Hills (I couldn't bring myself to choose just one character), In Fabric's demented saleswomen, Midsommar's mountain of flowers and Isabelle Huppert's brightly colored fashions in Frankie.
Jordan Sanders in LITTLE
Played by Regina Hall and Marsai Martin
Costumes designed by Danielle Hollowell
Sometimes, Jordan's outfits can be too much, but there's comedy to be mined from her excess. Pops of color abound and ostentatious choices are made from head to toe, from overdesigned pumps to glorious coiffure. This is how you dress the protagonist of 2019's most stylish comedy.
Elton John in ROCKETMAN
Played by Taron Egerton
Costumes designed by Julian Day
Whether he's wearing replicas of Elton John's stage costumes or sequined echoes of The Wizard of Oz's jolly quartet, Taron Egerton is a constant explosion of outrageous fashion. Julian Day clearly had a lot of fun exploring the flashy maximalism of Elton John, glittery rock hero. The heart-eyed devil costume is the best of the bunch.
Cliff Booth in ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD
Played by Brad Pitt
Costumes designed by Arianne Phillips
With his Hawaiian shirts, sexy shades and vintage jeans, Brad Pitt's Cliff is coolness personified. The air of casual aloofness that the actor projects is the ideal way to work such styles. You can feel his confidence with every step he takes. The perfect physique and bold colors in contrast with sun-kissed skin also help. In other words, he's hot. Really hot.
Ramona in HUSTLERS
Played by Jennifer Lopez
Costumes designed by Mitchell Travers
Ramona is a cinema queen from the minute she steps on stage wearing a G-string that's a marvel of engineering. Though, it's not until the master stripper pairs that skimpy outfit with a lush fur coat that she becomes 2019's greatest style icon. From denim swimsuits to Juicy Couture, Ramona is a paragon of tackiness transformed into aspirational wonder.
Lady Mary Talbot in DOWNTON ABBEY
Played by Michele Dockery
Costumes designed by Anna Robbins
Lady Mary earned a spot on this list the minute she donned that beautiful blue evening gown. Its color looks amazing with Dockery's coloring and the Fortuny pleats elevate the entire look into the highest echelons of silver screen elegance. The rest of her wardrobe is perfectly fine, but that gown is breathtaking.
Miss Caroline in LITTLE MONSTERS
Played by Lupita Nyong'o
Costumes designed by Leon Krasenstein
Little Monsters is a deeply flawed horror-comedy. Even so, Lupita Nyong'o's Miss Caroline is a sunny ray of perfection within it. From performance to look, this kindergarten teacher dropped into a zombie apocalypse is a delight, especially when wearing her brilliant yellow dress in battle. Gradually, the flower print is painted over by a incongruously stylish pattern of blood splatter and viscera!
Yoav in SYNONYMS
Played by Tom Mercier
Costumes designed by Khadija Zeggaï
Speaking of great yellow costumes, Yoav's mustard coat is the best single piece of apparel from the movies this year. It's a perfect blend of chromatic boldness in tandem with an elegant design. It stands out in every environment but never crosses the threshold into being garish or tonally inappropriate. The rest of his costumes do a great job of showcasing Tom Mercier's expressive physicality and the character's peculiar socio-economic situation.
Rose the Hat in DOCTOR SLEEP
Played by Rebecca Ferguson
Costumes designed by Terry Anderson
Rose the Hat's a bizarre conflation of old-timey stylings and shockingly modern pieces. There's her hat, of course, but also a collection of bohemian shawls precariously paired with stretchy tops and leggings. Athleisure is apparently ideal for astral projection -- Who knew?! The final effect is a strange but memorable idiosyncratic character look.
Elsa in FROZEN II
Played by Idina Menzel
Costumes designed by Brittney Lee and Griselda Sastrawinata-Lemay
Respect for a queer monarch that knows the importance of a good costume change and a dramatic reveal. Once again, Elsa goes through supernatural makeovers and the results are even better than before, with magic glitter and a platinum blowout to add even more glamour to the equation.
Ransom Drysdale in KNIVES OUT
Played by Chris Evans
Costumes designed by Jenny Eagan
When it comes to the union of hotness and sartorial splendor, nobody beats the ne'er do well sexiness of Chris Evans in Knives Out. Ransom is always dressed in impeccable pieces, exuding wealth. The best part is the indolent way he parades his muscular body in those over-complicated knits and sweaters that compliment his baby blues.
Still, Ramona wins. She wins everything. She should win Jennifer Lopez an Oscar. Mitchell Travers too, for that matter.
Reader Comments (13)
Re: Dolemite Is My Name. Silky Nutmeg Ganache is looking better than ever.
Jordan Sanders in LITTLE
Played by Gabrielle Union and Marsai Martin
What?
1,000 race points given for not confusing Regina Hall with Regina King. 5,000 race points taken away for throwing poor Gabrielle Union into this.
Ransom and his sweaters are my favorite of the year so far, although I haven't seen Synonyms yet (although I've been dying to for months). I don't think I'd even heard of Paradise Hills, but clearly if it looks like that I've got to try to find it.
@RobMiles I'm living
Brevity. Claudio also misnamed Joe Wright as Edgar Wright the other day. Maybe Nathaniel needs to proof read a little closer?
Brevity and Suzanne -- I'm sorry. I wrote both of those pieces on a haze of holiday shenanigans and I ended up misnaming people right and left. I'm sorry, again, and I thank you the feedback and the help in finding my mistakes. I'll try to do better Next time.
I hadn't heard of Paradise Hills either, but its marketing materials are giving me Beautiful Creatures manqué (but sunnier, brighter), for better or worse. (P.S. Is it Carey Mulligan or Michelle Williams in the white gloves? Say what, it's Milla @#$%?! Jovovich?!)
No one can top the ultimate top, Ramona in Hustlers. Mitchell Travers is a genius and deserves all of the awards, in addition to the finest platform heels and (faux) fur coats money can buy.
Brevity -- Truly, I'm sorry and ashamed. Thank you for pointing it out.
Suzanne -- Nathaniel shouldn't really have to worry about such matters when proofreading these pieces. This one's on me. I'm sorry about the Joe Wright conundrum as well.
@ Robmiles: Beesh, I cahn't.
@ Claudio: Ramona is the human equivalent of "OPULENCE. YOU OWN EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING IS YOURS!" from Paris Is Burning, I swear. ICON.
@Claudio
Thanks for including an animated character. When you tell a story with cartoons you have to design not only the characters but also the settings and costumes and is a complex work, specially in a single-man job.
When i was watching Frozen II catches my attention the details in Elsa´s costumes.
I’m finally seeing Synonyms tomorrow. When I first saw the trailer I immediately thought “woah, coat.” If I end up buying a mustard yellow coat I can’t pull off, it’s this movie’s fault!
Hey, asexual is part of the LGBQTIA spectrum that should be honored as much as Q. So since her sexuality isn't established, it's a bit disresepctful to asexuals to just say she must be queer if she has no love interest
Samara Weaving in Ready or Not and that glorious wedding dress.